Fathers and Sons
by Hopeakaarme
Summary: A Severitus response. On his 16th birthday, Harry receives an owl from the past from Remus Lupin, sent 15 years ago. What starts from there changes a lot. SLASH RLSS Discontinued.
1. A Letter From the Past

Disclaimer: I own the plot, Adoption Charm, and not much else.

A/N: REVISED. The story is going to be mostly just that, revised, but there is going to be some new content, too. Hopefully, the story will now better answer to the quidelines of the Severitus challenge as well as the wishes of some of my readers. (The future storyline may or may not be different, too. I'll decide that once I get there.)

Warnings for SLASH (male/male love) and implied MPREG.

* * *

Fathers and Sons

Chapter 1:

A Letter from the Past

* * *

Harry blinked and sat up on his bed, glancing at his alarm clock. It was exactly midnight. 

Midnight, July 31st. His sixteenth birthday.

A pack of owls was tapping at his window, demanding to get in. He bounced up from his bed and went to open the window. The owls flew inside, landing on his bed. Then they all looked at him expectantly, their eyes urging him to approach and relieve them of their load.

Harry slowly took the parcels and letters from the owls' legs. He had got post from Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, Lupin, and, to his slight surprise, Tonks.

Nothing from Sirius. No more anything from Sirius.

The Boy Who Lived fought against tears as he slowly piled the presents and letters on his bed. Just as he attempted to start opening the parcels, however, he heard yet another hoot from the window.

Harry turned around, and was left to stare in amawement. He had never before seen anything like her.

The owl was a bluish shade of white. She wasn't a snowy owl, though; she was a lot bigger than Hedwig, but somehow she seemed to be lighter. Her eyes were glittering silver, and she seemed to glow softly.

Cautiously Harry walked towards the owl, a bit unsure under her insistent gaze. As he started untying the letter from her leg, he heard, to his great shock, a cool female voice echoing from nowhere.

"This is the Time-Treasuring Section of Owl Post," it said. "This Owl was sent to you exactly fifteen years ago, and has been set to be delivered on your sixteenth birthday. It was sent by Remus Lupin."

Harry raised his eyebrows. Well, this was beginning to get interesting. What would Lupin tell him in such a special way? And what could have been so important that he'd wanted to be certain that Harry got the letter -- fifteen years after it was written? What would matter over the years?

Determined to find out, he unfolded the letter. The owl left immediately, not glancing back even once. Uncaring about her departure although still a bit bewildered, Harry began to read the odd letter.

_"Dear Harry,"_ it began.

"_I suppose you're confused right now - why would I owl you, over years even, when I could talk to you face to face?_"

Harry smiled slightly, nodding a bit. Yes, he was indeed confused. So, he went on reading.

"_At the moment, it's the night of your first birthday. Sirius and Peter have already left, returning to their homes for the night, but I'm staying here for... special reasons._

_I don't know how to say this -- I don't think there really _is_ a way to say something like this -- so I think I'm going to be rude and just say it, simple as that._

_Harry, James and Lily are not your parents._"

Now, Harry stared at the parchment in shock. Had he just read right? Rereading the last line several times just to be sure, he then became even more shocked as it didn't change. What exactly did this mean? With slightly trembling hands, he proceeded reading further, wanting to get to the bottom of this.

"_You read indeed right. James is not your father, nor is Lily your mother._

_Harry, I know this will upset you -- you'll probably get mad at us all for keeping this from you, for lying to you. However, you need to know. I sincerely hope that by the time you get this you'll be old enough to understand our reasons and see the situation from our point of view._

_As strange as it sounds, you never had a mother. You were carried by a man - by me, to be exact._"

Harry's throat was now dry. His hands still trembling, though, he forced himself to continue.

"_I know it sounds incredible, or rather ridiculous, but it is true. Due to my curse -- Lycanthropy -- I'm able to carry a child. That is, you. I'm not a hermaphrodite, though; I'm very much a man, but I do also possess all the necessary organs required for bearing a child._

_Then why are we all lying to you, you might ask. It is simple: to keep you with us._

_Three weeks before I found out I was carrying you, my mate left me. He -- he was a Death Eater._"

Harry closed his eyes, hot tears rolling down his cheeks. He was a Death Eater's son? And Lupin -- one of his fathers, he reminded himself -- had been left alone, expecting a baby, Harry?

"_Why didn't I keep you, then? I did want to. Honestly, I wanted nothing more -- you were a part of my mate, my only way to hold onto him. But I couldn't keep you, thanks to the Ministry._

_I once had a very dear friend who was a werewolf as well. She had a baby, non-lycanthropic. But when her mate died in an accident, they took her child away -- it wasn't safe for the baby to have only one, lycanthropic, parent, or so they said. She hasn't even seen her son ever since._

_I didn't want to lose you completely, so I went to ask for help from James and Lily. If they accepted to have you as their own, I could at least stay close to you even if I couldn't keep you myself. They promised to help, and we put up concealment and illusion charms to hide my pregnancy and make Lily appear pregnant instead. We never told Sirius or Peter -- if Sirius had known and not reported, he would have got troubles, and Peter, as dear as he is, couldn't keep a secret to save his life._"

Harry clenched his teeth. Indeed. Peter hadn't kept a secret to save James's and Lily's lives, either.

"_When you were born, we cast an Adoption Charm on you. It hides your true appearance and alters certain parts of your character, should you inherit them. It doesn't change your character entirely, just alters it a bit, but enough to make you appear different. You see, both I and my former mate have some rather easily detectable features that could give out our secret if they showed up in you, and we couldn't have that. The charm will stay unless some other strong magic forces it out. As you have showed signs of being a powerful wizard, it might be possible that it will start to wear out soon in a reaction to your natural magic. However, for the time being you are Harry Potter -- or at least you are that to anybody who doesn't know about our secret._

_As for who you really are, well, that is for you to decide. In case you'd like to know, the name I gave you before you became Harry Potter is Michael Severin Snape._"

Harry stared at the letter. He'd surely misread it some way. Or maybe this was just some sick joke? It had to be. This simply couldn't be true; this was impossible.

He couldn't be Snape's son.

Determined to prove that it wasn't true, Harry searched the room for one particular object. Finally finding it, he grasped the mirror Luna had sent him in the beginning of the holiday -- "So you could do something to that hair, no offense" -- and looked at his reflection. He let out a sigh of relief as he saw his old, familiar face looking back at him. A face that looked exactly like James Potter, and _not_ a face of a Snape. Maybe the Weasleys had thought he needed some cheering up. Yes, that had to be it.

Then he glanced around once again and saw his glasses lying on a chair.

* * *

Next chapter: **Childless Fathers**

Remus tells Severus. Harry, on the other hand, tries in vain to deny everything.


	2. Childless Fathers

Disclaimer: I own very little.

A/N: Chapter REVISED.

* * *

Fathers and Sons 

Chapter 2:

Childless Fathers

* * *

A soft hoot broke the silence. The two men sitting on a couch glanced up at the slightly glowing owl behind the window. Severus Snape waved his wand, opening the window to the owl to get inside. The bluish white bird flew in, perching on his knee. 

"The message from Remus Lupin has been delivered as instructed," a cool female voice informed them. "Thank you for using the Time Owls." Then the owl flew away without a sound.

"Time Owls?" Severus asked curiously. "To whom would you send a Time Owl? And why, exactly?" He turned his head to look at the werewolf sitting next to him. To his surprise, he noticed that his companion was unusually pale -- and, considering the werewolf's usual paleness, that was something. The Gryffindor's skin was now getting near to the colour of the Potions Master's own skin. "Remus?"

"Oh, Merlin," Remus whispered, and covered his eyes with a slightly trembling hand. No, this was definitely not normal. It had to be very bad for Remus to appear to be breaking down.

"What is it now?" Severus asked warily, placing his hand comfortingly on Remus's shoulder in a very uncharacteristic gesture. Something told him that it was needed now.

"I -- I sent Harry a Time Owl on his first birthday," Remus explained with a voice that was about to break at any moment. "It was about his parents."

"Eh?" Severus was, for once, getting confused. Whatever would Remus tell about James and Lily Potter to their son that the boy didn't know? Especially back when they were still alive? And why use Time Owls?

"It was not about James and Lily, but his _true_ parents," Remus said sharply, apparently aware of his thoughts. "Severus... When we broke up back then... A couple of weeks later, I got some surprising news."

"You don't mean --" Severus' eyes flew wide. This was getting plain absurd.

"I do mean it," Remus murmured. "Harry is your son -- _our_ son. James and Lily adopted him because the Ministry wouldn't let me keep a non-lycanthropic child and I wanted to at least stay close to him."

There was a stunned silence for a moment. Then, very slowly, Severus said, the emotions in his usually cool voice now unidentifiable, "You never told me."

"No, I didn't," the werewolf replied, his eyes lowcast, avoiding the other man's gaze. He simply couldn't face his lover at the moment. "At first I really didn't think you needed to know, as you had left me and probably wouldn't have even cared if I'd told you that I had your child. And after we finally made up, I was sure you would hate me for keeping him a secret -- after all, you did want an heir, at least when the war was over." Never lifting his eyes from the floor, he continued, "It wasn't easy, knowing it, believe me. At first, I was just 'Uncle Moony,' since the Ministry wouldn't allow them to name me even Harry's godfather. Really, what's it of their business? Then, when he was given to the Dursleys after James' and Lily's deaths, I couldn't do anything, either. If I had told them that the Boy Who Lived was mine, at the best they'd probably put him there nevertheless to give him the blood's protection, and I'd been arrested for not telling about him. As a werewolf and a Death Eater's child, he'd have been seen as a potential danger to everyone. In the worst case, they'd just put him into an orphanage, and made sure that I would never see him again. I couldn't allow that to happen... I just wanted my child to be safe."

Severus was very quiet. Then, still without a word, he wrapped his arms around his lover. Remus hid his face against the Slytherin's shoulder and cried, the tension of years finally making him break down.

Severus held the weeping man, one thought flying aroud in his mind. '_Potter is my son,_' he thought. '_All these years I've tortured him, made him hate me, and he is my son!_' Then he petted gently Remus's hair -- again, very uncharacteristic of him -- and corrected himself, '_No, he's _our_ son. And, unless he tries to deny the whole thing, I will be a real father to him -- for Remus's sake, if not for anything else._'

And when he thought about how everything had happened -- Remus had gone through pregnancy alone, thinking that he was a Death Eater; he'd kept the secret all these years and not been able to tell anyone in fear of losing his son forever; their son had lived with Muggles, neglected and learning to hate his father -- Severus Snape, who hadn't cried in the last thirty years, felt a tear rolling down his cheek.

* * *

"_I hope you won't get mad at me for not telling your earlier. But believe me, my son, I did it only to keep you safe, and near to me._

_I love you, Michael, my son._

_I love you._

_Your father,_

_Remus_"

Harry stared at the letter. He couldn't believe what he had just read. But his sight, which was now almost perfect even without his glasses, was doing a pretty good job at proving him wrong. This shouldn't have been happening, not really. Hadn't Lupin said that the charm would stay on him for the time being? Surely only reading the letter couldn't trigger any change in him! This just wasn't _fair_.

In addition to wondering this sudden change, Harry was getting more horrified at every passing second. Being Lupin's son, that he could cope with, but... _Snape?_ And Lupin and Snape had been _together?_

It couldn't be true. It just couldn't.

Harry glanced absent-mindedly at his birthday presents. He hadn't opened a single one yet. And, to be honest, he didn't want to, not at the moment. All those things had been sent to Harry -- to Harry Potter. Not to Michael Snape. And, no matter what his name was or what he looked like, that was who he was.

What would his friends say if they found out? Ron most certainly wouldn't be happy to learn that his best friend was actually Snape's son. Merlin, he did hope that the character-altering parts of the charm weren't removed -- would his friends even try to be friends with somebody who had inherited Snape's character?

More importantly, would he want to be friends with them? From one of their Charms lessons he remembered something about the Adoption charm. If it was completely removed, his character would turn into the one it'd been if he'd grown up with his true parents. And would Snape's son want to be friends with a Weasley? Would everybody hate him just for who his father was -- or would he hate everybody?

His gaze wandered around the room and stopped at his trunk. While he was watched the initials marking the trunk as his, they slowly changed from "HJP" to "MSS."

As he saw this, he tossed the presents aside and fell onto his bed, face first.

* * *

Next chapter: **Another Letter**

It is Severus' turn to contact his son.


	3. Another Letter

Disclaimer: I own very little.

A/N: Most of the chapter is NEW CONTENT.

* * *

Fathers and Sons 

Chapter 3:

Another Letter

* * *

As Harry woke up, he was not happy. Not at all. Part of the reason for this unhappiness was that he'd fallen asleep in quite an uncomfortable position, hanging half off the bed. As for the rest, well, that he did not notice at first. When his mind had properly woken up, however, he noticed that something was off. 

To be exact, the trouble lay with his hair. Over the night it had grown considerably longer. Harry's hair had always been a particular length, just as long as his father -- James, he corrected himself, although he loathed doing so -- had in all the photographs he had of the man. Now, however, it reached a bit below his shoulders, which did not please him. At all. Also, to his great horror, he noticed that instead of the jet-black colour his hair had possessed before, it now was rather a dark brown colour. It was _wrong_.

And, of course, there were his eyes. He could still see perfectly without his glasses, which would have alone been astonishing enough. However, his eyes had also changed colour. Most people probably wouldn't have even noticed the difference, but Harry did. He _knew_ that his eyes had been a lighter green the night before.

So, the seventeenth year of his life did not begin very well. Of course, it certainly didn't improve his mood when he put his clothes on and noticed that his jeans appeared a bit shorter than before. Merlin, he indeed _was_ changing. And he desperately wanted it to stop at once.

Sighing, he finally found a piece of string and bound his hair on a ponytail, annoyed by the way it fell on his face. Then he headed downstairs to make breakfast. It was still one of his duties, and in reality, he did not mind -- not nowadays, when he was actually allowed to eat like the others, the Dursleys being too afraid of the wizards' revenge to even suggest anything else.

As the Dursleys saw his changed appearance, they didn't say a thing. Sure, Uncle Vernon frowned disapprovingly, and Aunt Petunia looked confused, but neither said anything. In fact, the first thing that was said was, "You've got mail, Potter", when Dudley had retrieved the post (to Harry's great satisfaction).

Therefore, after eating his breakfast, Harry returned to his room to read the letter. It wasn't from a Muggle, he knew, as it didn't have a stamp -- not to mention that the envelope had been folded from parchment, and his name was written with emerald ink. A bit curious, he then opened the letter and started to read.

_"Not-so-dear Mister Potter, or whatever you are,"_ the letter began, and immediately Harry knew who it was from. For a moment he considered never reading it, but finally decided to continue.

_"At first, no matter how much you undoubtedly loathe doing so, I suggest that you read this letter completely. It contains my opinion of this situation, and I do think you should know it._

_Yes, I am indeed your biological father. Or, rather, I am Michael Snape's biological father -- the rest depends on who you are. I refuse to admit that Harry Potter is my son. If, however, you wish the Adoption Charm to be lifted -- or if it leaves by itself due to your own magic, a possibility that I fear shall soon become reality -- I am ready to bear my responsibility. Merlin knows I won't mourn if the son of James Potter ceases existing, and I do not oppose the idea of an heir, either. And, of course, there is the fact that Remus would probably like nothing more than to have his son back. As the Ministry won't allow a werewolf to have a human child, I will claim you to make him happy._

_Ah, Remus. Yes, I was indeed his lover at one time -- and I am his lover now as well. As you know already, I left him when he had just got pregnant with you; at that time I did not know about a child being on the way, though. There were two reasons for me leaving him. One was that I wanted to keep him safe from the Dark Lord, who most certainly wouldn't have approved of our relationship, should he have known about it; the other was that, despite our relationship, Remus did not know about my spying. It wasn't that I didn't trust him, but I figured that if he didn't know, nobody would try to torture him to make him reveal the spy's name. However, he didn't know that I was a Death Eater at the first place, either, and keeping such a secret was putting a strain on our relationship. As he already was suspecting something, I simply showed him my Dark Mark and left. For some reason, possibly as a sign of his love, he didn't turn me in to the authorities._

_For many years, we heard nothing of each other. Then, however, he came to Hogwarts to teach. I was less than pleased -- his presence raised rather unpleasant memories in me, or, rather, too pleasant ones. By now knowing that I had been merely a spy, he tried to approach me to renew if not a relationship, then at least a friendship between us. However, I pushed him away, not wanting to be hurt again. Yes, Mr Potter, it did hurt me to leave him all those years ago. Despite the rumours circulating within the school, I am indeed a human, and capable of human emotions._

_You know how his teaching career ended. However, what you probably don't know is that before leaving Hogwarts, he came to my office. Instead of raging at me, however, he made a last attempt at removing the drift between us. I was not about to give in, but my resolve rather effectively left me as he stepped forward and kissed me. And since then, well, ever since we have been maintaining a relationship in secret. A year ago we got secretly married -- why ever he accepted my proposal, I do not know, but my reason for proposing was my will to ensure that even if I were to die, he would still be able to live comfortably. I am not a poor man by any means. However, had I just named him my heir in my will, the Ministry might have brought trouble; as my husband, nobody will be able to take the Snape fortune from him or to claim that he doesn't have a right to it._

_Yes, I am still a spy. Yes, if I publicly claimed you as my son, it would bring trouble -- either the Dark Lord would force you to become one of his Death Eaters in training, or he would kill me for "hiding" you. Therefore, coming out as your father would force me to give up my position as the spy of the Order. However, I am ready to do that._

_You probably want reasons for this decision. They are rather simple. For one thing, the Dark Lord is probably already doubting my loyalties, and for another, as I've stated before, having his son back would make Remus happy. Yes, Mr Potter, I would give up spying to make my husband happy._

_Most probably you don't even want to consider being my son under any circumstances. That is definitely understandable. I am not the easiest of men, and I admit having done my best to make you loathe me even more than the other students, although I have at times also saved your hide. I'll have you know, however, that I did have my reasons for my behaviour -- petty in the eyes of most people, perhaps, but reasons, good enough for me. To be exact, there are three reasons._

_One reason -- but, I assure you, not the most important one -- is that you are James Potter's son. Yes, I hated your father -- or, rather, your adoptive father -- more than anybody else, excluding the Dark Lord. And yes, I also took out my hatred for him on his son, or at least on the person I thought was his son. For this, I will not apologize -- it most certainly wouldn't help our cause if the Boy Who Lived died of shock -- but I do admit that it might not have been the best possible way to act._

_Another reason is my hatred for all Gryffindors, your carrier and the Headmaster aside. This hatred I claim to be the fault of not only the old House rivalries but also your adoptive father and his friends, who certainly did their best to ensure that I would never think anything good of any Gryffindor. You might want to thank your luck for the fact that I did manage to find something good in two members of your House, for without my being with your carrier, you would not exist._

_The last reason is the fact that, frankly, you annoy the Hell out of me. You do this by your attitude and character, which are exactly like those of James Potter, rising anew in you and irritating me just as much as they did in the original one. Of course, now I know that they aren't your true character but rather the doing of an Adoption Charm. Should the Charm be removed, I am confident that you wouldn't annoy me quite as much._

_What I am trying to explain is that you should not let your fear of having a father who hates you affect your decision. As you can see, the main reasons for my treating of you are due to your adopted father and the character you have inherited from him. If the Adoption Charm is removed, both reasons will disappear, and I can tolerate certain Gryffindors, like your existence proves._

_Unless the Charm leaves by itself -- in which case the Ministry files will automatically register you as Michael Snape -- I leave the decision to you. I'd like to remind you, however, that if you wish to remain a Potter, you will continue to live with the Muggles. If you wish the Charm to be lifted, you will gain a father who loves you very dearly and another who is willing to at least try, if need be._

_Please inform me of your decision as soon as possible._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Severus Snape"_

For a moment Harry just looked at the letter, not really seeing it, his mind going over what he had just read. As strange as it was, in the letter Snape had appeared to be almost... human. True, it had been written in the usual style he normally detested in his Potions Master, but to his astonishment -- and slight horror -- Harry now found it familiar and almost amusing rather than unpleasant or irritating.

Now, Harry glanced at Hedwig. He then took a piece of parchment and quickly wrote a note. Then he attached it to his owl's leg and said, "Take this to Severus Snape." The owl hooted, a bit surprised, but then flew away to do as she had been told. For a moment, Harry looked after her, uncaring about the fact that she had already disappeared from sight and instead his eyes were locked at the empty sky.

Then he turned around and started to gather his things.

* * *

Severus received the note with mixed feelings. Remus raised his eyebrows as he recognized Harry's owl, but didn't say anything. Instead, he just sat on the couch, waiting to hear what it was all about. 

The Potions Master now unfolded the parchment. Then he read the short message that said everything.

_"Professor Snape,_

_I fear neither of us have a choice in the matter._

_Yours,_

_HP/MS."_

And then, attached with a Muggle tape, he saw something below the message. To be exact, a small lock of hair. Hair that was, instead of black, mostly dark brown -- and he could see at least one golden brown strand amidst the darkness.

No, they no more had a choice, it seemed.

* * *

Next Chapter: **The Headmaster's Protests**

Dumbledore isn't exactly willing to agree to Remus and Severus' plans.


	4. The Headmaster's Protests

Disclaimer: I own very little.

A/N: Chapter COMPLETELY REWRITTEN.

* * *

Fathers and Sons 

Chapter 4:

The Headmaster's Protests

* * *

Severus glanced at his husband. Some time ago he had explained to Remus the contents of the letter he'd sent to their son, as well as showed the short note he had received in return. Now, they were about to talk with Dumbledore about getting the said son away from the Dursleys. It was rather obvious that the Adoption Charm was being removed by itself -- or, rather, as a result of Michael's natural magic reacting to the news about his true parents. And, therefore, they wanted their son back. 

Severus' thoughts wandered to the time he had first seen Remus as something to be desired and not despised. Not long after the incident of the Shrieking Shack -- something that might have made him hate the werewolf forever -- they had been paired up in DADA to work on a project. At first very reluctant but forced to do as he was told, the Slytherin had slowly come to see some positive traits in the Gryffindor. And, by time, he had come to notice that not only was Remus a human instead of a beast, but he was also much more pleasant and friendly than any of the other Marauders. By the time they left school, they had in secret become fast friends, and, not too long after that, lovers. And here they were now, married and with a teenage son -- although to them the son was as good as newborn, so little impact had they had in his life up to that point, aside from their teaching duties.

His husband, Severus knew, was in a great turmoil at the moment. After so many years of knowing where his son was but unable to do anything about it, Remus would now -- hopefully -- finally be able to become a true father to his child. That was, if the boy allowed that -- and he was going to, that Severus would make sure about. His beloved was suffering, that he saw despite his occasional emotional blindness, and he was determined not to let there be any more pain for his husband.

The Potions Master himself was confused above anything else. He didn't really know what to think or how to react; it was all too new and shocking to him. He'd never seriously considered being a father. Sure, if Remus had brought up the topic, he probably would have agreed; like the werewolf had stated, he was certainly not averse to the idea of having an heir. Not that he'd raised the topic himself, no; as Remus was the one of them who was actually capable of carrying a child, he might have felt like Severus was trying to pressure him into bearing an heir for his husband. And that was certainly not what Severus wanted to do. He'd always thought that if they one day had a child, it had to be a mutual decision, even though the idea was certainly appealing to him when he thought about it. "After the War is over," however, was his usual comment on any subject such as this one, and he didn't really expect to live to see the end of the War.

Now, however, he discovered that he already had a son -- one that hated him. It was quite unsettling. He wasn't the most agreeable of men, that he was the first to admit, but he was certain that, had he known the truth from the beginning, he wouldn't have raised his son to hate him. Having had a difficult father -- although "difficult" was really too mild a word -- Severus had always been determined that if by some miracle he became a father some day, his children would like him. He'd even managed to make Remus love him despite all his faults; surely he couldn't be much worse a father than anybody else? Well, apparently he was, although he blamed that on his lack of knowledge about the boy's parentage. Sadistic and cruel he might be at times, true, but not entirely heartless, definitely not when it came to anybody he cared about.

...Merlin only knew what the _boy_ was feeling at the moment. His hated Potions Professor, the "greasy git" and a Death Eater, was actually his father, along with another male professor, one who was a werewolf. That must be quite a shock for a boy who had always thought that his parents had been normal, at least by Wizarding standards -- a nice, loving mother and a brave, handsome father. Quite a shock, indeed.

It wasn't that he hated the boy, no. He disliked the boy's disrespect for rules and the way everybody was always letting him get away with little more than a slap on the wrist no matter what he'd done. Sure, he also got annoyed by not only the boy's own character but also by the hint of his old nemesis he had always seen in the boy. He knew that if the boy _still_ was annoying, he couldn't blame James Potter for it but himself instead. He'd perhaps been the victim more often than not, but he wasn't entirely free of blame, either.

At last, the door opened and Albus stepped in. He looked cheerful as ever, although he seemed also curious as of what these two men were doing in his office, especially together. A pair of thin, white eyebrows rose high as he saw Remus' hand wandering towards Severus' and grasping it, and when Severus allowed the hand to stay as it was, the twinkle in his eyes doubled. "What can I do for you, my boys?" the Headmaster asked cheerfully. Well, he would not be cheerful anymore after a moment.

Not being one for pleasantries, Severus decided to go straight to the matter. "We want Potter out of the Dursleys," he said. "We don't particularly care just where you place him, although the Grimmauld Place might be the best option, but he can't stay with those Muggles a single day longer."

Now, Albus' eyes widened, and the twinkle disappeared almost entirely. "What!" he asked, surprised. "No, Severus, that cannot be. His aunt's home is the only place where he can be safe, thanks to the protection of blood. Also, the Grimmauld Place is too full of memories of Sirius. Merlin only knows what staying there would do to the poor boy; he's got enough on his mind as it is."

"Pity you didn't think about that all those years ago," snapped Remus, although he still appeared just as calm as ever. "Those Muggles neglected him, Albus, they abused him. Your blood wards -- Dark magic if there ever was any -- maybe protect him from magical offenders, but about those Muggles they can't do anything. Surely Harry can take some memories for a month if he can take his relatives for years?"

Dumbledore looked quite taken aback, and Severus smirked inwardly, although to an outside observer there was no change of any kind to be detected on his features. He recognized that tone of voice all too well. It was the tone his dear husband used only moments before he exploded.

Remus might be the calm and controlled one, even more so than Severus himself -- but when he snapped, the results were that much worse. Seemingly all the negative emotions inside Remus, the longing, uncertainty, regret, everything, had decided to come out in the form of anger. Well, it was good he got rid of some of his tension -- especially when it wasn't directed at Severus. He mentally cheered Remus on as the werewolf leant forward, his eyes flashing as they were locked at the still speechless Headmaster.

"Fine. _Harry_ will not leave the Dursleys, then," the werewolf said, the anger now more evident in his voice. "However, the only boy that stays there is their whale of a son. I may be a werewolf, Albus, and Severus may be a Death Eater, and therefore neither of us especially enjoys the affection of the Ministry of Magic, but even we have some rights that cannot be ignored. Tonight, we will get the boy from the Privet Drive and take him to the Snape Manor, where you will recast the blood wards, based on me. I know they won't be as strong, seeing that I'm only Lily's second cousin, but he'll be safe enough."

Severus almost wished he'd had a camera. Hell, forget almost; at the moment he would have paid about anything to be able to take a picture. The blend of shock and confusion on the Headmaster's face was absolutely precious, even more so as it was seen on the ever non-surprised Albus Dumbledore.

At last the ancient wizard seemed to regain the use of his vocal cords. "W-what do you mean?" stammered the Headmaster. "How are you going to get Harry from the Dursleys if he's not going to leave from there? And what rights exactly do Severus and you have to take him away from there -- and especially to the Snape Manor? If the Ministry knew the Boy Who Lived ever stayed in such a Dark place, they would --"

"Be quite shocked, I assume," Severus cut in, careful not to show his amusement. "I assure you, Albus, little Darkness remains from my father's times. It should be a good place for the boy to stay at, with both strong wards and the absence of anything that might remind him of the mutt. In fact, I think it's the best solution -- who ever would try to look for him, or even for me, at such a place? It's widely known I detest my blood relations. And as for your questions, well, we're not taking Harry Potter anywhere." This time, onyx eyes were the ones that flashed, instead of amber ones. "Instead, we're taking our son Michael home."

Now, Dumbledore was most certainly purely shocked. "...Harry is your son?" he asked quietly.

"No, Albus, he's not," Remus said. "However, Michael Snape, the boy known to you as Harry Potter, is indeed our child, adopted by James and Lily when he was just a newborn baby. And, as his biological parents, it is our right to demand him to stay with us. You're out of excuses now, Albus."

"Do feel free to check it," Severus said coolly. "His natural magic has reached its peak, and the Adoption Charm is already disappearing. The school records will soon claim him to be Michael Severin Snape, our son, if they don't already do so. You hardly can deny our rights to our own son, now can you?"

For a moment Dumbledore just stared at them, still shocked. Then he sighed quietly. "I still do advise against it," he said quietly. "However, I hardly can deny you your rights to him. If Harry is harmed, though, you will answer to me for it," he then added with a hard tone, the usual twinkle disappearing.

"Oh, no, Albus," Remus replied with his most pleasant smile, his inhumanly sharp canines flashing. "If Michael is harmed, _you_ will answer to _us_ for it." Nodding at the Headmaster, the werewolf then stood up. "Thank you, Albus. We shall now go to get our son from those awful Muggles."

At first following his husband, Severus then turned to look over his shoulder at the doorway. "To me it hardly matters what happens to Potter," he said quietly to Dumbledore. "However, to Remus, Michael's fate is definitely important. And, because of that, I will not have you meddling with our son's life anymore. He is _ours_ now, and you have no say in his life." And, with this, he turned around, his robes billowing behind him as he swept through the school's corridors after his husband.

Dumbledore was left standing alone, watching the door that was closed behind the two men.

* * *

Next chapter: **No Looking Back**

Remus and Severus get their son from the Dursleys.


	5. No Looking Back

Disclaimer: I own very little.

A/N: Look! Another update!

Chapter REWRITTEN.

* * *

Fathers and Sons 

Chapter 5:

No Looking Back

* * *

Michael sighed as he once again glanced into the mirror. He did not like these changes, not at all. Not only was his hair by now almost completely golden brown instead of its former ebony shade, his eyes were now clearly a dark green. He doubted they would stop at that. Never mind that his nose had started to _grow_. He could swear it was now clearly bigger than it had been that morning. His other facial features were changing, too, generally becoming sharper and narrower, but the nose was what disturbed him most. 

Staring at his reflection in the mirror, he traced a line across the reflection's face with his finger. The said finger was long and slender. Both Lupin and Snape had long, fine fingers.

Both of his fathers.

His musings were interrupted as he heard a loud crash from downstairs, followed by a scream. Apparently his fathers had arrived.

Leaving his room, he walked slowly down the stairs. The noise was coming from the kitchen he noted, sneaking to the kitchen door. Pushing the door ajar, he peered inside.

"Get out of my house, you freaks!" Vernon yelled, his face red with rage. "The boy is all right, I can assure you. Now LEAVE!"

"Not without our son," Lupin said calmly, not batting an eyelid. He reached out his hand for Snape, and they twined their fingers together. Michael grinned inwardly as he saw this. If there was anything in the world that Vernon hated more than wizards, it was homosexuals. His parents seemed to understand this from the Muggle's suddenly even more anger-flushed face since Snape stepped purposefully nearer to Lupin and rested his free hand on the werewolf's shoulder.

"He's not your son!" said Petunia with a high-pitched voice. "He cannot be both of yours! That's unnatural - _impossible_!"

"As we're wizards, it is indeed very much possible," said Snape coolly. "Would you like a thorough explanation as of how male pregnancies develop, or will you be satisfied simply with the knowledge that they are indeed possible in our world?"

At this point, Michael decided that it was the time to make his presence known. "I'm here," he said, and stepped inside to the kitchen.

For a moment there was an absolute silence. Everybody stared at him, studying his changed appearance. Their reactions varied -- Vernon seemed both furious and shocked, while Dudley was almost scared. Snape studied him closely like he were filing away the details in his mind, Lupin's expression was a mix of hope and longing, while Petunia seemed almost sad after her initial shock.

It was Lupin who finally broke the silence. "Michael," he said softly, "I --"

Michael, however, interrupted him with a wave of his hand. "We can talk later," he said curtly. "Right now I simply want to get out of here, all right?"

The werewolf nodded, seeming almost relieved as the inevitable talk was postponed. "Let's go to get your things, then."

Shrugging, Michael turned around to show the way. Lupin followed him, although first he placed a small kiss on Snape's cheek. This was undoubtedly meant to aggravate the Dursleys, as neither of the men seemed the type to usually display their affection publicly. Not sure how to react to seeing such a thing, Michael tried not to look. He would have to face the fact that he had two male parents sometime. However, that time wasn't now.

"Don't let them cause any problems," Lupin said quietly, ignoring the shocked expressions of the Dursley's. "I'm sure you can handle them."

"Do not worry," Snape said, smirking threateningly at the Muggles. "They will behave, I assure you." At this, he gave the Dursleys a glare instead of a smirk. Michael knew that glare -- it was known to make even some of the teachers in Hogwarts shiver, leave alone students, or already shocked Muggles.

"Just make sure they all stay in one piece," the werewolf advised. "It might be too difficult to explain to Albus if you caused any permanent harm to them."

"Don't worry. I can cause quite a lot of harm that is not permanent."

Walking away with Lupin following him, Michael knew with absolute certainty that the Dursleys wouldn't as much as breathe too loudly.

* * *

Some time later Michael found himself back downstairs with both his trunk and his fathers. "Let us go, then," Snape said calmly. "I have a Portkey that will take us to our destination." 

"And where exactly are we going?" asked Michael. He may have trusted them enough to follow them, but he wasn't about to blindly go wherever he was led.

"The Snape Manor," replied his Potions Master. "It is the last place anybody will look for you at. Dumbledore will be there to cast the protective wards as we arrive."

Michael nodded, approving this. The Headmaster wouldn't be involved in the plan if he thought it too unsafe. As he was about to get out of the house along with his fathers so that the Portkey could be activated, however, somebody grasped on his arm.

"Harry?" asked Petunia quietly. As he shook his head, she bit her lip. "Look, how did you look like Lily's son? Why did everyone think that you were hers? And why do you look like this now?"

"I was adopted as soon as I was born," Michael explained calmly. "They used a charm to make me appear like my adoptive parents' son. However, now the charm has lost its effect, and I am thus returning to my true parents."

He wanted to say something nasty, to pay back for all the horrible years he had been under her and her husband's care, but he didn't. Something in her voice and expression stopped him. And, the more he examined his own feelings, the more he found himself unable to purposefully hurt her simply for petty vengeance.

Seemingly he was already showing traits he had inherited from his biological parents. This time from the one who'd carried him.

"I see." She was quiet for a moment, backing away a bit, then reached her other hand out to him. Previously clutching some small object tightly, the hand was now open, offering the object to him. "This -- this belonged to her. Even if you aren't her biological son, I suppose that she really loved you. It's better that you have it than I."

Michael took the object. It was a simple necklace, a thin golden chain with an oval-shaped pendant. As he snapped it open, he saw a photograph of three people inside -- himself, as a tiny baby Harry, and Lily and James Potter. On the other side he saw three locks of hair; one of them was coppery red, the two others midnight black.

"Thank you," he said, snapping the pendant closed and putting it in his pocket. "This means much to me." And with that, he turned around, and left the house he'd been forced to call home for fifteen years, never looking back.

* * *

Next chapter: **Settling In**

Arriving to the Snape Manor.


	6. Settling In

Disclaimer: I own very little.

A/N: This whole chapter is NEW CONTENT.

* * *

Fathers and Sons 

Chapter 6:

Settling In

* * *

Michael's first impression of the Snape Manor was that it was large. Of course, it was nowhere as enormous as Hogwarts, and Michael had a feeling that it wasn't even nearly as big as some other family houses of Pureblood families, but it was still too large for only two men, even with the sudden addition of a teenager. He suspected it would take him more than one day to get it explored to his satisfaction -- provided, of course, that such a thing would be allowed. With Snape as one of his parents, he wasn't too hopeful about exploring. The Potions Master hated it, after all. 

"If the house-elves have followed my instructions, there should be a room prepared for you in the second floor," Snape said as they made their way inside. "I'll show you the way there, as well as to the kitchen and the closest bathroom. The rest of the house you can discover to yourself, should you want to."

Now, Michael couldn't quite conceal his surprise. "You mean I actually am allowed to look around?" he asked.

"But of course. A healthy dose of curiosity has never killed anyone -- not when it's kept within certain limits, at least. Rest assured that if there is a place in this house you are not permitted to enter, it will be warded accordingly. As long as you are around on mealtimes and go to sleep at a reasonable hour, you are free to wander around to your heart's content."

For a moment Michael was quiet, not knowing what to say. Finally, he managed to say, "Thank you, Professor Snape."

"Oh, for goodness' sake," sighed Snape in exasperation. "Do not call me that outside the classroom. I'm not asking you to call me Father, but for both of our sake, at least call me by my first name."

"That goes for me, too, Michael," said Lupin, who until then had remained silent. "Only for me the 'Professor' isn't applicable at all anymore."

Michael nodded slowly. "Okay, then, Remus... Severus." Maybe one day he actually could call them Father. However, that day was not now. It was hard enough to call them by their first names, never mind anything so meaningful.

He was silent as he followed Snape -- that is, Severus -- down a couple of corridors and then into a stairway. Remus trailed after him, all the time seeming half sad, half overjoyed. It was definitely a strange impression.

"This," said Severus rather dramatically as he stopped in front of a door, "is your room." He then opened the door, revealing the room in question for them to see.

Michael's first thought was that he was seeing things. The room wasn't that strange -- by Wizarding standards, anyway -- but he simply couldn't believe that such a thing could be found in a house under the name of Snape. For one thing, it was very light-coloured. The walls were a pearl grey shade that somehow managed to look pure and refreshing instead of boring or depressing, and the long curtains framing the large windows were white as snow. Everything else was a slightly tinted white or light grey colour, except for the drapes on the four-poster bed, which were deep blue. His trunk, Michael noticed, had found its way there already, sitting at the end of his bed.

"This used to be my room when I was young," Severus said. "If you want to change something, by all means, do so. I can show you a couple of storerooms to look into in case you want to change the furniture."

"Thank you," Michael said, "but I think I'd rather find them by myself." And, he realized, he did want to find them. If such a room could be found in the Snape Manor, as Severus' old room, even, who knew what other surprises the building hid?

* * *

Once the initial tour of the Manor was done with, Michael was left on his own. He immediately decided to start exploring. After all, he was still a Marauder, even if his Marauder parent had been the patient Remus instead of the reckless James. 

His mind thus made, he set off. It would have been easy to start from the corridor along which his own room was situated. However, he decided to retain some kind of an order even in independent exploration -- after all, he might miss something interesting otherwise. Therefore, he headed down to the basement first.

None of the rooms in the basement held much surprises, all having obviously been out of use for ages. There wasn't dust anywhere -- thanks to the house-elves, no doubt -- but the rooms still held the air of lack of use. Michael strongly suspected he was the first human being to walk in the old storerooms and shadowy corridors in decades. The large laboratory, however, would undoubtedly soon be revived into frequent use. Maybe Severus would even let him brew something there.

Close to the laboratory, however, he found a small room that seemed even more forgotten than the others. He was about to move on when his eye caught something in the far corner. Closer inspection revealed this to be an old school trunk with the initials 'SS' attached to it. His curiosity rising to entirely new heights, Michael started to work on opening the trunk.

After some time he managed to open the lid. Feeling oddly like an intruder, he started to go through the old school things of his father. He tried to be surprised as he discovered that the History of Magic books where the same ones that were used in his class. Some of the others were also the same as his books, some simply earlier editions, but there were some that he had never even heard of before. Many of them, he suspected, were something Hermione would love to get her hands on. Opening a nearby Transfiguration book, he started to read, interested in seeing how things had changed in a couple of decades.

His sense of time gone the moment he opened the book, Michael was startled as a house-elf suddenly popped into being next to him. "Young Master Snape," the little creature said with a squeaky voice, "it is being dinner time. Young Master Snape's fathers are being waiting."

Quickly marking the page he had reached, Michael set the book on top of the trunk, determined to return there later. There was still a lot to be read -- and he hadn't even looked through the whole trunk yet.

* * *

The dinner was a tense affair to say the least. None of them dared to say much like fearing it might ruin everything. Remus in particular seemed wary, like a wild animal ready to leap, gazing between his son and husband. The two in question stayed distantly polite, trying to push off the confrontation they suspected was going to happen sooner or later. 

At some point, however, Severus looked critically at Michael for sooner than was probably necessary. Then he said, "We are going to get you new clothes. Those are an absolute disgrace."

Michael glanced down at what he had on. They were Dudley's old clothes, like was almost everything he owned aside from his school robes. He didn't like them, and had to silently agree with his father, but some little devil inside him made him disagree. "And what exactly is wrong with my clothes?" he asked sharply.

"Well, for one thing, they don't fit," Severus said. "For another, they are ugly as hell. And, for a third thing, I very much doubt you chose them yourself, and it is my firm opinion that a young man of your age should be able to decide on their own clothing. Of course, they are also Muggle," he then added, "but that alone isn't enough of a reason to change them."

Michael prepared to give a sharp retort. These men had already turned his life upside down; he definitely wasn't going to let them change everything, even if the thing changed was one he loathed. Remus must have detected the sparkle of rebellion inside him, however, as he stepped in to prevent a true row between them.

"I think we are all in need of new clothes," he said calmly. "If you are going to force Michael to get a new wardrobe, Severus, I think you can do the same for yourself. Some more colour wouldn't kill you, you know -- and nobody has yet managed to die of Muggle-style clothing, either."

The onyx eyes flashed, but Severus didn't hesitate. "As soon as I see you in something else than brown or Gryffindor red," the Potions Master said. "Very well. First thing tomorrow we shall head for Diagon Alley and get new clothes for us all."

Michael blinked, a bit surprised at the quick decision. He didn't try to protest, though. The mere thought of seeing Severus in Muggle clothes that may not be entirely black was enough to push off any disagreements he may have had.

...Never mind that he was curious to see exactly how Remus was going to talk Severus into actually buying something like that.

* * *

Next chapter: 

More exploration -- and shopping.


	7. Wardrobe Matters

Disclaimer: I own very little.

A/N: Yes, I updated. Now, breathe deep. Concentrate. Do NOT faint.

Important notice to everyone: There will be NO UPDATES OF ANY KIND IN NOVEMBER from me. Regardless of length, popularity, fandom, or any other factors, I will not be updating _anything_ during November.

* * *

Fathers and Sons

Chapter 7:

Wardrobe Matters

* * *

"Now, Severus, don't be like that," Remus huffed. "It's not like simply going inside will kill them."

"And how am I to know that?" asked Severus sharply. "For all I know somebody might be waiting inside just to kill me the moment I step through the doorway!"

"That is ridiculous," sighed Michael. "They just sell Muggle-styled clothing. And it's even made by wizards, not actual Muggles!"

Still, the Potions Master eyed the store warily. Finally, though, he gave in, grudgingly following his family inside the store. Even there he continued glaring at every item in sight as thought expecting them to attack him.

"Ah, welcome. How can I help you?" asked a chirpy voice from the back of the shop. To their sight skipped a happy young woman wearing a denim skirt and a pink t-shirt. Severus looked almost nauseous at the mere sight of her.

"Hopefully quite a bit," Remus replied dryly. "My husband here has never worn any Muggle-styled clothing before and is now trying to slip out of his promise to actually get some for himself. We were hoping you could help him find something that would match his tastes – preferably not in black."

"The old-fashioned kind, then?" She smiled sweetly. "Very well. Do follow me, I will show you some items that our other customers have liked despite being more used to Wizarding apparel."

Remus followed her and Severus followed Remus. Michael, however, took the opportunity to look around by himself. At least the shopkeepers knew what they were doing when calling the place "Muggle Mix," however ridiculous the name may have been. All the clothes on display were actually ones Muggles would wear in every day life, not ones that had gone out of fashion decades or even centuries ago. And, judging by the shop clerk's clothing, they actually knew how the clothes were supposed to be worn. Michael suspected whoever ran the shop must have been Muggle-born.

That was just well with him. He didn't think he could have accepted a wardrobe consisting solely of robes, however comfortable they may have been.

Walking around, he noticed some quite good-looking pieces of clothing here and there. Although he was hesitant to do so, well, his fathers had told him to look for clothing for himself, right? So he should do that and not worry about it feeling wrong. They were his fathers, so they were supposed to provide him with proper clothing. And given Severus' current mood, he really shouldn't aggravate him any more by not doing as he was told.

Another shop clerk appeared from somewhere – a young man this time. After telling repeatedly that no, he did not need help, Michael gathered some of the most interesting clothes on his arm and asked where he could try them on. Most of the boys of his age maybe wouldn't have much cared about what they were wearing – Ron definitely didn't, as long as it wasn't maroon – but after wearing Dudley's old clothes all his life he was definitely going to take this chance to affect his wardrobe.

He had no room to talk about his fathers' choice of colours, at least, he noticed as he looked at the clothes he had chosen. The main colour was black, spiced with mostly red. There was also some blue clothes and even a mostly green shirt he didn't even recall picking. It didn't look too bad, though, so he decided he would have it despite the Slytherin connotations. Provided his newly found parents wouldn't be shocked at the amount of clothes he found suitable, of course.

He heard Remus calling for him and hurried towards where his fathers were, still wearing the last clothes he had tried on. His eyes widened as he saw the two. Remus seemed comfortable enough with basic blue jeans and a bluish grey button-down shirt, but Severus...

Now, Michael had never seen his Potions Master in anything but black robes (if one didn't count the nightshirt). He probably would have had a heart attack if he'd seen him in jeans, and thus it was fortunate Severus was not quite that comfortable with Muggle clothing yet. However, the dark grey slacks and green shirt were definitely not robes, and definitely not black, and that alone was enough to make his eyes widen.

"Doesn't it suit you?" chirped the girl in the pink t-shirt at Severus. "Really, sir, black makes you look so pale, you really shouldn't wear so much of it..."

"Ah, there you are, Michael," Remus said with a mild smile. "Can you believe it? Severus is wearing something that lets everybody see where his legs are!"

"You make me sound like a Victorian lady or something," muttered Severus. "What exactly is wrong with being traditional?"

"Oh, nothing is wrong with that," Remus said with a grin. "Just that you look even better in these clothes!" Then he turned to properly look at Michael. "So you apparently found something for yourself, too," he observed. "Now, nobody can deny you two are indeed a father and a son..."

Michael blinked in confusion. Then he looked down at what he was wearing – dark blue jeans and a black turtleneck with a silvery dragon pictured on the front. Not even having realized that he was combining such dark clothes, he blinked in surprise. Then, however, he regained his composure.

"With this nose, I doubt anybody could miss the relation anyway," he said a bit cheekily, tapping a finger against his notably grown nose. By now his facial features were an almost exact copy of Severus', while his hair was just as clearly from Remus. A second later he almost regretted the joke as Severus glared at him, but to his great relief the Potions Master just snorted dryly.

"Why is he allowed to wear black but I'm not?" Severus asked then, sounding almost childish in his demand. This was made even more amusing by Remus' very reasonable, parent-like voice as he explained that, unlike Severus, Michael had not spent most of his life wearing black and he was also picking non-black clothing. Looking at their wardrobes, the werewolf reminded, Severus had definitely more black clothing than their son could get during one shopping trip. This, Severus finally had to grudgingly admit true, thus losing his chance at any further arguments. (Although Michael was quite sure he would still argue.)

By some miracle Remus actually managed to coax Severus into wearing the clothes as they left the shop. Severus agreed only after he had managed to get a permission to wear his outer robe over them first. Michael followed their child-like bickering with both amusement and confusion, trying to decide whether these two were truly the serious and responsible members of the Order of the Phoenix he knew or whether he had ended up with just some very, very convincing clones. Who weren't really convincing at all in the end.

Then Severus decided to take them to shop for robes as "revenge" and he decided that it was indeed the real thing. No clone could have ever had that smirk.

* * *

Next chapter:

Hopefully? The "More exploration" I promised you in the last chapter.


End file.
